


By Any Other Name

by Cones_McMurphy



Category: Nothing Much to Do
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-06
Updated: 2014-09-06
Packaged: 2018-02-16 10:06:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2265669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cones_McMurphy/pseuds/Cones_McMurphy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I wrote this drabble over an observation I've made about how and when Beatrice says Benedick or Ben. Each name has a time and a place, and I wanted to explore that a little bit more.</p>
    </blockquote>





	By Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this drabble over an observation I've made about how and when Beatrice says Benedick or Ben. Each name has a time and a place, and I wanted to explore that a little bit more.

When she calls him Benedick, it’s always with a twinge of bitterness and regret. Benedick tastes like dry wine on her tongue. It reminds her of a summer that should exist worlds away in her memories. Benedick is the boy that broke her heart. Benedick is all her hatred and anger, the pure, white-hot rage she’s built up over the years. She wants nothing to do with Benedick. Benedick in the boy who threw sand balls at the back of her head at the beach every summer. Benedick is the boy who tries to one-up her every second of every minute of every hour of ever day. Benedick is the boy who films in the bathtub like it’s a perfectly normal thing to do. Benedick is the arrogant footballer, always showing off his “fancy footwork”. Benedick is the boy who’s mere appearance reminds her of that hot, sticky August evening when everything changed. Benedick is the boy who sat on that bench and rattled off some babble about the sunset, as she listened and nodded. Benedick is the boy who ran off that bench when she tried to hold his hand. Benedick is the boy who pushes her buttons like no one else. She _hates_ Benedick.

When she calls him Ben, it’s different. Ben is the boy she knows now. Ben is the one who stayed behind after the party to help Leo clean up, while Beatrice comforted Hero. Ben is the one who picked her side, who picked _Hero_ ’s side, over the friends he called brothers. Ben is the one who showed up on her porch a few days after Hero’s birthday with a tub of ice cream, two seasons of _Game of Thrones_ , and a sheepishly hopeful half-smile. Ben is the one who makes stupid _Harry Potter_ jokes to cheer her up, even though she knows he’s just as upset as she is. Ben is the one who lets her cry for hours, because he knows that she’s trying so hard to be strong for Hero’s sake. Ben is the one who drives her to the hospital with Hero so she can help Hero. Ben is the one who brings her food and fresh clothes in the hospital when she refuses to leave Hero’s side. Ben is the one who wraps his arms around her in the cold waiting room chairs, and tells her it’ll be all right. Ben is the one who is at her side the whole time, making terrible puns. Ben is the one who looks at her like she’s the sun and the stars and everything else. She _loves_ Ben.

 


End file.
